Photos: Space station meets Discovery
Meeting Discovery
This is the view from Space Shuttle Discovery as it enters the docking station on the International Space Station.
International Space Station
The International Space Station has been in orbit since its construction began in 1998. Discovery astronauts will perform spacewalks to install a platform and instruments on the space station. The station is 240 feet by 146 feet and 90 feet tall.
Missing pieces
The crew took photos to the external fuel cell after it was jettisoned and discovered a missing piece of foam (insert). NASA has put future shuttle flights on hold due to this problem.
The crew
International Space Station Expedition 11 Commander Sergei Krikalev and Flight Engineer John Phillips prepare for Discovery's arrival. They have been manning the space station since April 16, 2005.
Experimenting
Flight Engineer John L. Phillips works in the lab while conducting an experiment on his own body. He's wearing a pair of cycling tights outfitted with sensors that measure joints, muscle activity and foot force. Scientists hope to solve the mystery of bone and muscle loss during space flight and also better understand osteoporosis on Earth.
Supply vehicle
The Progress 18 resupply craft was launched from Russia to deliver two tons of supplies, food, water, fuel and equipment to the Expedition 11 crew members aboard the station.
Burning the trash
To prepare for a new supply vehicle, crew members packed Progress 17 with its load of trash and unneeded equipment and sent it to be deorbited and burned up in Earth's atmosphere.
Hurricane Emily
Expedition 11 NASA Science Officer John Phillips captured this photo of the eye of Hurricane Emily on July 17, 2005, as the storm churned in the Caribbean Sea east of the Yucatan Peninsula. The space station serves as an orbiting observatory.